Getting States Started
Periodically, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded grants to AAMVA to administer federal funding for NMVTIS implementation to states. As funding is available, states may apply to AAMVA. The process for getting the federal funding for development of NMVTIS in your state is as follows:
- State representatives participate in Web conference calls conducted by AAMVA. The purpose of this three-hour discussion is to provide enough information on the requirements of NMVTIS so that state personnel can create a high-level estimate of their project budgets. AAMVA estimates that each state will receive about $300,000 of the federal funding to support NMVTIS implementation. The conference call will help the state identify whether it needs to find additional funding within its state budget to cover any costs over $300,000. This, in turn, will allow the state to determine when it will apply for the funding to AAMVA. States interested in setting up a Web conference call should contact AAMVA’s Systems Analysis Department.
- The state expresses interest in implementing NMVTIS and requests a site visit from AAMVA. The site visit is designed to introduce the state decision makers, business process staff, and technical staff to NMVTIS (what it is, why do it, benefits, etc.). We review the state's titling and registration business and technical. Next, we discuss NMVTIS technical requirements. Finally, we help the state to create a detailed project plan to map the new requirements into the current system.
One benefit to the state of the formal NMVTIS site visit is the overview session, which establishes buy-in on the project from the executive level, and shows the business and technical staff that the executives support the project. Another benefit is the learning/interaction of the business and technical staffs that can occur during the site visit sessions. The site visits create momentum and motivation in the development staff.
To request a site visit, the state should send a letter on state letterhead expressing interest in implementing NMVTIS and requesting a site visit. AAMVA will contact the state and establish a suitable meeting date. The letter can be sent to:
Linda Lewis
AAMVA President & CEO
4301 Wilson Blvd., Suite 400
Arlington, VA 22203
- AAMVA does the site visit. The site visit usually lasts 3 ½ days, and requires attendance by executive staff (overview session on the first ½ day), business staff or end users (first 1 ½ days), and technical staff (all 3 ½ days).
- The state finalizes its project plan. The site visit results in a task list that is the beginning of the state’s project plan. The state will create the project plan, including tasks, work hours per labor resource, identification of whether the labor is in-house or contractor personnel, identification of other (non-labor) resources required, etc. The project plan will show the resources required, the estimated cost to implement, and the project schedule.
- The state applies to AAMVA for federal funding (as it is available). The format of the application that the state uses to apply for funding to AAMVA is the same format that AAMVA uses to apply to DOJ for its grant. You can contact Marney Michalowski, AAMVA’s NMVTIS Grant Coordinator, for information on preparing a grant application. One requirement is AAMVA’s version of a DOJ document entitled the Budget Detail Worksheet. DOJ’s worksheet and its detailed instructions are on the DOJ Web site. This worksheet requires computations by cost category -- your project plan can be created fairly easily to translate to this format (and AAMVA’s version of the form).
- AAMVA applies to DOJ for modification of the grant to add the state. We estimate that about $300,000 of the federal funding will be available to each state.
- DOJ approves the state and adds it to the grant. Until this is done, the state should not begin working. DOJ's position has been that no expenditures will be reimbursed if they are done before the grant is signed (amended).
- AAMVA executes a sub-recipient agreement with the state that describes the state’s project schedule, milestones, payment schedule, etc.